The Saviour's Secret Sister (OUAT)
by cjthegay
Summary: Snow White and Prince Charming had twins: Emma and Ava. Emma got sent through to the other realm in the tree, but Ava was born after the curse struck. After seventeen years of growing up in completely different backgrounds, the girls both give birth. What happens next is quite odd, and for the rest of their lives, nothing is normal. Not when Ava knows the truth... Rumpel/OC
1. Prologue

**This is my first Once Upon A Time fanfiction, so please do bear with me. Please leave reviews, favourite it and remember to enjoy!**

Prologue:

Nothing stood still, it was all happening too fast. The Charmings were locked in a room deep inside the castle, but it was all still going wrong. All around them, things were falling down or flying across the room as the walls shook ferociously. Regina, the Evil Queen was laying siege to their castle and there was little else they could do. It was prophecised for this to happen, she would invoke a curse, to send all the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest to another realm. But not like this, thought Snow as her contractions grew stronger and more frequent. The princess' waters had broken and her daughter was to arrive any moment now.

"We have to get her to the other realm, now!" Prince Charming yelled, with a fierceness to combat even the powers of the Evil Queen's. From behind them, the Blue Fairy shook her head, walking toward them slowly.

"It cannot be done, she is too weak now. The journey could fatally injure her, or even kill her. We must alter the plan, to send just the girl in the tree. Snow can't go with her." she seemed sad to admit this, but there was obviously nothing she could do.

"But, what about Emma? She'll be alone. What will happen to her?" tears streaked down Snow's face as she cradled her stomach, giving an almighty push that furthered along the birth.

"Either way she will be alone. If you go with her, it will kill you. If you send only her, then at least she will be reunited with her when she's older. She'll still _have_ a mother, just not one who's with her." Blue explained, rushing around to the front of Snow, who was extremely close to finally pushing the baby out. Once she had been born, both Snow White and Prince Charming kissed her on the head and wrapped her in her blanket, then sent her off to the other realm, just hoping for the day that they are reunited.

Just like before, there was an air of confusion, everything was off. Snow White's contractions still hadn't stopped. Blue eventually confirmed that there was another baby on the way. How they had not known they were having twins, the Charmings had no idea. All they knew is that one of their children would be a victim of the curse and one would be the one to break it. Just as Snow was getting ready to push, a cruel green smoke engulfed them all, ripping them from their home. It all went black.

A scream escaped Mary Margaret's lips as she pushed, Mother Superior spoke soothing words, of how amazingly she was doing. It was all a blur, she couldn't exactly remember anything that brought her to this moment, but she was in the middle of bringing another life into this world. Finally, with one big push, an innocent squeal of life could be heard by both Mary Margaret and Mother Superior, a pink, fleshy mass. Letting out a sigh of relief, the new mother smiled, leaning back into the hospital pillow.

"Ms Blanchard, you have a beautiful baby girl. What are you going to call her?" Mother Superior brought the bundle round to Mary Margaret, who held her close to her, a natural grin split across her face.

"Ava. I'm not sure why, but the name just speaks to me. Ava Blanchard." she spoke, a strong, unfaltering look of pride. A confused look crossed Mother Superior's face, "I'm not sure who the father is. But, can we keep that just between us?"

"Of course, Ms Blanchard."


	2. Chapter One

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Chapter One:

One morning, I woke up and smiled as the amber leaves swept around the floors, some sticking to my window. It was my seventeenth birthday, myself and my mum were going to spend the day together, she had no work that day and so we were able to do whatever I wanted. My stomach turned with excitement as I threw the covers back, running down the stairs to find my mum already in the kitchen, a mug of hot chocolate sitting on the countertop. Wrapping my arms around her, I grinned.

"Happy birthday Ava! You've grown too quickly, you just have!" she smiled, brushing my dark hair out of my face, kissing my forehead.

"Can we go to Granny's for breakfast, please mum?" I begged, she rolled her eyes, just nodding and taking a few sips from her hot chocolate.

"Of course we can, you just go and get dressed and we'll go right away." her eyes filled momentarily with tears, but she didn't seem sad, more proud than anything, I kissed her cheek and ran back up the stairs to get dressed.

Rifling through my wardrobe, I let my pale fingers run gently over the various fabrics and materials before stopping on a dress. It was a 1950s style dress, pale blue with white polka dots and it came in nicely at the waist, with a white belt around the waist band. I slid the dress on, it reached just above my knee and it showed off just enough skin of my chest. With a small dusting of powder on my eyelids, in a silvery-blue, and a deep red on my lips, I let my curly black hair loose and it tumbled down my back as I slipped on my pale blue ballet flats and raced back down the stairs to my mum.

"You look beautiful, come on, let's go." she took my arm as we walked out of the front door and out onto the streets. Nipping gently at the extremities, the autumn air definitely made its presence known.

Arriving at Granny's, we walked through the door and were greeted with cheers all around, everyone was waiting for us! It was almost the whole town that had crammed into Granny's that day, which would have been why we'd not seen anyone walking on the streets. I was swarmed with hugs and presents and lovely words from everyone as they celebrated with my mum and I. Even Mayor Mills came and told me she hoped I had a nice birthday today, which was odd considering she rarely cares to mingle with the common people of the town. As we settled down in a booth, and the throng started to dissipate, we ordered our food, my favourite, pancakes.

"Granny, have that charged to my table." Mr Gold stood up, leaning on his walking stick for support as he half-hobbled over to our table. Looking up at him, I must have shown just how confused I felt, as he let out a laugh as he stood in front of us, "A little treat, for your birthday, Miss Blanchard. Oh, and I've got something for you, back at my shop. Meet me there at, let's say...one o'clock? Perfect, see you then, dearie."

"What do you think that was about? Do you think I should go?" I glanced wearily at my mum who was glaring after Mr Gold who was returning to his seat. She had an obvious dislike for him, but I wasn't entirely sure why, and neither was she, she just didn't trust him.

"I know my dislike for Gold has never been hidden well, but his intentions could be good ones, I think it would be wise for you to go, just as a thank you for this breakfast he's bought us maybe. But if he starts acting strange, you need to come away as quickly as you can. I'm not sure why I mistrust him, it's just a gut feeling. Now, let's eat these pancakes!" she turned her attention quickly back to the pancakes which sat before us.

Whilst we were eating, I couldn't help but wonder about what Mr Gold had in store for me at his shop, what he was going to give me. Not only did my thoughts wander, but my eyes did, across the thinning sea of people and to the eyes of none other than Mr Gold himself, a mischievous glint in his hazel eyes as he stared right back at me. Something about his gaze made me feel uncomfortable, completely disarmed and vulnerable. Quickly, I drew my eyes back to my food, and my mind back to the conversation I was holding with my mum. A dry laugh escaped him, as he hobbled to the counter, paid for the food and left, nodding to me briefly.

"What would you like to do after this?" mum asked me, snapping me back into reality. Thinking for a moment, I realised I actually didn't know what I wanted to do.

"I'm not entirely sure now. Maybe go for a walk in the forest?" I suggested, which my mum agreed to almost instantly. We always went to the forest when I was younger, it was my favourite place to go and play, I'd pretend I was so many different things. Sometimes I was a princess running from an evil monster, sometimes I was a knight using a stick as a sword, other times I was a pirate and I'd go splashing in the stream.

As the time drew closer, me and mum walked back into the town, red-faced after running around the forest all morning, just like we used to. It was fun, just to let go of everything and pretend I was a child again. But I'm not, I thought to myself. I had to go and get a job and actually do something with my life. How boring, I sighed and swept my hair back out of my face, parting with my mum as we reached our house. She made me promise I would be careful, and she kissed my forehead just before I carried on walking, all the way to Mr Gold's shop.

Pushing the door open, I peered inside quickly. Taking a deep breath, I walked into the shop, scanning the contents of the room and reaching out one hand to take a small clock in my hand, before a cough was heard in front of me, making me jump. I put the clock back quickly, turning my attention to Mr Gold, my heart thudding against my ribcage. A smirk was carved deep into his face, a mocking look upon it. Smoothing my polka dotted dress, I stepped closer to him slightly.

"Miss Blanchard, you actually came, I'm shocked!" he feigned shock, drawing the back of one hand across his forehead. I simply rolled my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest.

"What was it you wanted, Mr Gold?" my voice cracked slightly - there was no way to contain my fear it seemed - he leaned back against the desk, presenting a slightly more welcoming front for once.

"I have something for you. It's a special birthday treat. I've kept a close watch of you since the day you were born, Miss Blanchard. You're special. Come with me," he gestured for me to follow him into the back of his shop, leaving me as confused as ever. Still, I drew on all my courage and followed him through to the back room, where he told me to sit on an old-looking stool, so I did.

"This isn't some trick is it?" I asked, still only a feeble voice was able to be mustered from the depths of me, as I grew more worried the more I looked round at the strange bottles and flasks and vials that lined the shelves on each of the four walls of this strange room, as if it wasn't an odd enough situation already.

"No, no. Of course not, dearie. Now, drink this. It's something I've perfected over these seventeen years. I knew I'd need to use it, on you specifically." he offered me a small vial with a silvery-blue substance in it, telling me to drink it. Wearily, I took the vile from him and uncapped it. Bringing it to my lips, I kept eye contact with him until I'd downed the contents of the vial.

Everything went black, then images flashed in my eyes, as if retelling some story, but I hardly had time to stop and think about any of it, until my mum was in a room in some stone building, she was giving birth. A fairy stood behind her, but the fairy looked exactly like Mother Superior, my mother was dressed in a lovely grand dress and the man next to her was dressed like a prince. The whole building was shaking. My mother gave birth, to a girl called Emma and they sent her away in a tree portal. Then it all went dark and then I was born in a hospital room. I realised that Mr Gold had just given me the memories of all the people in the town. It was all real, somehow. I woke back up.

"I have a sister? My mother is Snow White...but, how is all this even possible?" tears filled my eyes, welling up before spilling over and trailing down my pale cheeks. Many, many lifetimes worth of regret, sadness and guilt welled up inside me as I sobbed.

"I gave Regina, the Evil Queen, a curse which sent everyone here. But your sister escaped the curse. Your parents didn't know they were having twins. So you were born here. I'm sorry for this shock, truly. But I need your help Ava." he took a handkerchief and wiped my cheeks free of any trace of sadness. Still, one thing confused me, my heart was pained beyond belief at that moment in time.

"Rumpelstiltskin...that's who you are, so why should I trust you? Why would you need the help of a 17 year old girl? Hm? I'm hardly anyone powerful." my voice was thick with emotion and accusation, he did not seem shocked by this in the slightest. Though if he was shocked with me being angry or upset, he would have been incredibly senseless, even if he was the Dark One.

"You were born of true love, Snow White and Prince Charming had possibly the truest love and truest hearts of all the realms. As a result, you're powerful. You and your sister hold power strong enough to defeat Regina, just not quite yet. There is no magic in this realm, so your powers are completely useless. It's how we get them back that is interesting. Your sister will be the saviour, but you will be the protector. Of her future son. Come, I can show you a glimpse into the life of your sister." he held a hand out to me, so I took it somewhat cautiously. Just as our hands touched, sparks flew all around the room. Not metaphorical love-dovey sparks, but actual sparks erupted from our hands, not hurting us in anyway, but they did.

"What was that? What just happened, Mr Gold!" he let out a dry chuckle, rolling his eyes before leading me to a room even further into the building. Hung upon a wall, there was a grand mirror. For some reason I was drawn to it - Mr Gold still didn't let go of my hand - so I walked towards it and placed my other hand on the frame of the mirror, running it along the decorations. Suddenly, a mist clouded the mirror. That was before showing me a girl with long, blonde hair and my blue eyes.

A man with short, light brown hair was coming up behind the blonde haired girl, before he leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Turning round, the girl had a massive smile etched on her face, hugging the man tightly. He called her Emma, she called him Neal. It was her birthday, she was seventeen. Quite quickly, it became obvious that they were romantically involved. Everything was happening so quickly, they were on the run from something - possibly someone.

Turning back around, I was face to face with Mr Gold once again, his hand still gripping mine tightly, eyes fixed on me. Pulling slightly backwards, I tried to free my hand but to no avail, Mr Gold was holding on for a reason. One I was completely unaware of. With my other hand, I reached out and gently shook him by the shoulder, snapping him out of whatever sort of daze he was in. A small smile settled into his features, he was the most relaxed I'd ever seen him. In fact - it wasn't relaxation, but relief. Possibly because I was working with him for now in whatever he needed to be done. I'd still not been told that much, but of course that would be a bloody luxury!

"So Ms Swan has met her love, and within the next few months there will be a little surprise for her! A sweet babe…" he laughed, maniacal in his physicality.

"She'll become pregnant!? She's only just seventeen. Mr Gold, you can't be serious?" I raked my fingers through my curls, letting out a grunt of frustration, there was no way that I would be able to stop her. But maybe I shouldn't, he seemed to pleased for this just to be something that happened by coincidence. Maybe it was meant to happen!

"Oh, but I am very serious, dearie. You see, once the child is born, he will play a big part in our lives. He'll be put up for adoption, Regina will adopt him, she'll raise him and then you will find out exactly where he can find Emma. He'll bring her to Storybrooke and she'll break the curse. I know it may seem strange, all of this. But you're just going to have to trust me, Miss Blanchard. Do we have a deal?" he asked, producing a contract from a desk drawer. Rolling my eyes at the man, who seemed to pull all the strings of everyone in the town, I took the pen from the desk and signed my name on the dotted line. I looked back up to see him grinning down at me, "Excellent...now you have to do whatever I say, when I say it. Or I'm afraid it won't end well for you, dearie."

"You're bluffing. You wouldn't do anything too horrible to me, you need me. But you are the man we all know, so what would you request I do first?" I gave a mocking curtsey, earning a laugh from Mr Gold.

"Well, as it _is_ your birthday…I thought I'd treat you to a nice dinner. Not just at Granny's, I can assure you of that. So, meet me back here at seven o'clock, sharp. I would say look presentable, but you always seem to look more than presentable. Possibly even desirable," he gave a mocking wink; it was most likely just a slight retaliation after I'd mocked him. Still, I could feel that the heat in my face was rising, a pinkish tint splattering across my cheeks. Mr Gold smirked, watching still as I made my way out of his shop and into the cooling air.

Mr Gold's voice continued to swim around in my mind, taunting me wherever I went that day. I just wished for the day to be over so that I could get to dinner with him and then go home. All I wanted was to sleep after my already exhausting day.


	3. Chapter Two

**Thank you for continuing to read! As I said, this is my first OUAT fanfiction. Please keep reading, favouriting and following. Make sure to leave a review! x**

Chapter Two:

Unlocking the door to the apartment, I saw my mum sitting at the counter drinking a cup of - I assumed - coffee. To begin with, she didn't notice that I was back. So I walked in and slipped my shoes off by the door before walking over and pouring myself a glass of water. All this time, she had been staring at me, as if trying to prompt me to tell her what the meeting with Mr Gold was about. In all honesty, I was still trying to process it myself, but I knew that I couldn't tell her the truth. Not at all, so I had to come up with something quickly.

"So...what did Gold want? You seem flushed, Ava." her voice was just as soothing, as calm as it had always been, like a warm blanket on a wintery evening. Still, the twinkling in her eyes told me that she was impatiently awaiting the details.

"He wanted to wish me a happy birthday, so we sat and had coffee. We talked for a bit. He said that he wanted to treat me, as it's my birthday. So he's taking me out to dinner later. But, not to Granny's. I've been assured that it's somewhere nicer than that. I'm not sure why he's doing this. But, he seems very genuine, so I'm going to go." I tried to contain the nerves and excitement that I felt. However, judging by the reflection I saw in a mirror, I wasn't doing to well with that. I was still red in the face after mine and Mr Gold's encounter.

"Are you sure about that, he's Mr Gold...I'm sorry, I just worry." she looked up at me from her seat, a flash of concern in her eyes now. Rifling my hand through my curls, I nodded whilst smiling at her.

"I am. I want to go, he seems to be being nice, at least for today. So I might as well make the most of it. If it all goes back to him being a callous, grumpy pawnbroker then so be it. But for now he seems to care. I'll have my phone on me, so I can call you if anything goes wrong. I'll keep you updated with texts, I promise. Just, please don't worry," I looked down, fiddling with my hands in my lap as I sat down across from her.

"Oh- well alright then, you can go. Just make sure you enjoy yourself. We need to find you something to wear. You look nice anyway, but let's make you feel like a princess, sound good?" she walked around to the front of me, lifting my chin up with her hand. A grin split across my face and I hugged her, taking her hand and running up the stairs with her. With everything I'd learned today, the fact that she used the word princess just made me extremely happy. All that was needed now was for Emma to burst through the door and save the day! But we still had a few years to wait for that.

"I've never been out to dinner before, I wouldn't even know where to start with what to wear!" I was so nervous I could hardly contain myself. Of course, my mum just looked at me like I was insane, trying to hold back her laughter and failing spectacularly as she choked out a round of laughter which started me off too.

"Ava, you're treating this like a big date! Wait- is this a date? You've been grinning ever since you told me about all of this. Do you like Mr Gold? Does he like you?" she grabbed me by the shoulders, staring at me, eyes boring into my soul.

"No, it's not a date! It can't be…" I trailed off as I thought about everything that happened. Sparks shot out when we held hands, he said I looked desirable, we laughed and joked, he needed me, and he was helping me to uncover both my past and my future. Maybe he cared for me, maybe he didn't. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed as though this could have been planned as a date.

"You don't seem to sure about that, honey. Come on, you can tell me. I'm your mum!" she laughed, brushing a few stray hairs behind my ear and walking into her bedroom, over to the wardrobe.

"Well...he complimented me, and when he took my hand to show me this beautiful mirror in the back room, I-I could have sworn there were sparks. But, I'm sure it isn't like that…" I confessed, looking down as I blushed profusely once more.

"Sounds like a date to me. Just, be careful." she crouched down and rummaged in the back of the wardrobe until she found a prettily decorated shoe box, and pulled out a beautiful dress too.

The dress itself was white, with pale silver detailing, all done in lace. Coming down to just where my knees would be, and tapering in at the waist, it looked to be the perfect fit. Towards the top of the dress, it had a sort of heart-like cut for the chest, dipping down just slightly and then coming up into off-the-shoulder sleeves which reached the wrists. Once my mum had opened the shoe box, I saw the most lovely pair of heels which were white with silvery bows on the front, they weren't too high but just high enough. Hugging my mum tightly, I grinned to myself, the outfit was perfect.

"Thank you! Are these all yours? When did you get them?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me, once again. A distant look crossed her face, but she swallowed whatever emotion was attached to the memories of this outfit.

"I'm not really sure. I feel like I know, but I can't really remember now. But I want you to wear it, you'll look lovely. What time are you going to dinner?" she sat on her bed, running her hands over the fabric of the dress.

"I'm meeting Mr Gold at seven at his shop. I have no idea where we're going, but I think its somewhere fancy." I gushed, entirely unlike my normal self. Usually I'm quite reserved - I certainly don't gush!

"Well you have five hours left to do whatever you would like, any ideas?" she asked, checking her cropped hair in the mirror by her bedside.

"I'm not sure...we could watch movies? To relax before my...date," I laughed, poking my tongue out at my mum who then chased me down the stairs, both of us laughing like nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

It was six o'clock, so we decided I should probably get dressed. My hair was loose, tumbling down my back like a cascading waterfall, but pulled back off of my face with hair pins. A perfect fit, the dress hugged my frame nicely, and the shoes were lovely. Stepping out from the bathroom, I made eye contact with my mum, who melted the moment she saw me. Proud tears spilled from her hazel eyes which swam with motherly love. I was engulfed in her small, yet strong arms as she sobbed about how grown up I looked. I checked the clock, startled at how quickly time had gone. Applying a deep, rich coating of burgundy to my lips, I ran out of the door and down the stairs, out onto the street.

Keeping a quick pace, I was almost halfway to the shop when Mayor Mills started walking my way, head on. Trying desperately to ignore her and avert my eyes, I could tell that I was annoying her. So I quit trying to avoid her, and greeted her with a warm smile, the warmest I could muster up in my hurried state.

"Where are you going now, Miss Blanchard?" she looked right through me, a quizzical expression on her face as she now turned round, walking the same way as me.

"I'm on my way to Mr Gold's shop." I took a deep breath, being as curt as I could be without seeming too rude. She was the Mayor after all.

"Dressed like that? Aren't you a little over dressed for a trip to the pawnshop? That dress is lovely, though." she commented, taking me entirely by surprise. Though, today seemed to be full of surprises.

"Well, I mean...Oh- okay, I'll just tell you. Mr Gold has offered to take me out to dinner tonight, as a birthday treat. How could I refuse a dinner invitation? So I said yes. Please don't think I'm being rude, Madam Mayor. But I am in a hurry." I jogged a little, my feet twinging in protest as the heels became less comfortable than when I was simply walking at a slightly accelerated speed.

"Oh! Well, that should be...nice. Send Mr Gold my regards. I'll let you be on your way, good night Miss Blanchard," she snickered to herself, stopping in her tracks as I carried on jogging in my gorgeous but glaringly uncomfortable heels.

"Goodnight Madam Mayor!" I called out, picking up my pace once again, barely making it to Mr Gold's shop before - I checked my phone - two minutes to seven.

Mr Gold was propped up against the doorframe, waiting. I presume he heard my heels on the pavement, because he looked up as I neared him. His face was a wonderful sight. Almost immediately, his mouth dropped, eyes wide as he scanned my body. I clutched my bag to my side in an attempt to do something to distract myself. Standing in front of him, I had no choice but to drink in the sight before him. Smarter than usual, if that was possible. A plain black suit, with a white shirt and black tie. Now it was my turn for my mouth to drop open and my eyes to go wide, we'd both obviously made more of an effort than the other cared to think we might. He'd sprayed something which was quite comforting and made me relax, it was a musky but crisp scent. It contrasted my sweet and sugary perfume.

"...Miss Blanchard...you look lovely. Your- your mother does know where you are, I presume?" he was almost speechless as he offered me his arm - I gratefully accepted, linking them both together.

"Yes, she does. She told me to be careful, she's a little worried." I laughed, nerves getting the better of me.

"And yet she sends you out to me in this?" he gives a swift gesture, pointing to what I was wearing, "I can understand why she's worried, but she has no need to be. I'll do you no harm, Miss Blanchard,"

"Mr Gold you're flattering me…but thank you. And please, call me Ava." I smiled, resting my other hand on his arm as we walked arm in arm, getting fairly odd looks from those who walked past.

"It's not just flattery, you do look...royal, Miss- Ava. You're quite beautiful, and this outfit is quite something. I do hope your mother won't give me a talk about my intentions? I'm sure you've, by now, worked out that I hoped this could be a sort of… date." he glanced down at me, then quickly away.

"Yes I did figure that out," I giggled slightly, staring up at him as we continued down this street and that, keeping the conversation going.

We came to a rather fancy-looking restaurant, with grand decour, and Mr Gold held open the door for me as we walked in, waiting at the entrance for a waiter. Taking in the breathtaking sight of the interior, I was definitely in shock. That restaurant was possibly the nicest place I've ever been, not even just to eat, but ever. Judging my facial expression, my _date_ laughed from beside me, placing a hand on the small of my back, which startled me a bit. I regained what little composure I had as the waiter came over.

"Reservation for 'Gold'," he said next to me, the waiter scanned me and then Mr Gold, then looked between us oddly and showed us to our table, muttering under his breath, "What was that?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all, sir." the waiter whimpered slightly. Tugging Mr Gold's arm, I got his attention just quick enough so it wouldn't escalate further.

"Don't bother with him… come on, let's enjoy our evening." I smiled, sitting down when he pulled out my chair for me, then he sat in his own and stared at me across the table, shaking his head.

"What would you like to drink?" the waiter asked, pulling out a notepad, I looked at Mr Gold, who just asked for a bottle of champagne.

"Thank you, for all of this, Mr Gold." I looked around the room, fiddling with the hem of my dress as he watched me.

"It's no problem at all, my dear. Please, call me Rumpel, or some variety of that." he held his hand out for me on the tabletop. Hesitantly, I reached out to lace my hand in his own and noticed a slight flickering of lights around us, but that stopped eventually.

"Okay, Rumpel. So, why did you ask me on this date? I know that you can, and I'm young and fresh faced and all those other rubbish reasons that judgemental people might say, but I want to know the real reason." he rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb; this sent shivers down my spine.

"You're beautiful, truly. And I find you rather intriguing. You're different from the rest of the people in this town, you're spontaneous and you don't care what other people think. It's refreshing. Especially for an old man like me," he gazed at me - not just a look or a glance, he was so focused on me that I thought I may be swallowed up whole.

"You're not an old man. Why do you think I accepted your invitation. Other than the most obvious reason. That being, the deal." I found that my voice was quite breathy, my heartbeat uneven and much quicker than normal. Our bottle of champagne arrived and the waiter poured our drinks as we stared at each other still.

"You like a challenge, you wanted to see what it would be like. Not only that, you find it all quite... _thrilling,_ " he leant in and whispered the last word, sending goosebumps all over my body, like a static shock. Although with what happens when we make contact, it wouldn't surprise me if it was actually static shock.

"Y… yes, I suppose I do." my voice was no more than a whisper at this point.

Throughout the conversation, my mind kept flitting back to the same thought. With everything that was happening, and the way my body responded to him, a heat filling my core and spreading outward, it was like I was under a spell.

"What's wrong Ava?" he shook my arm gently, snapping me out of my thoughts. I swallowed, my mouth feeling dry all of a sudden.

"You don't… no this sounds ridiculous. Sorry, um, you've not got me under some sort of spell, do you? It's just, I feel strange." I grew embarrassed, looking down at my lap, unable to keep the eye contact any longer. He gave a laugh, it was comforting; I began to laugh too - relieved now.

"No, I haven't. Magic doesn't work in Storybrooke. It's good to know that I have an effect on you, though. It is a good effect, isn't it?" he placed his knife and fork down, having finished his starter.

"Well I think so. I've never felt like this before. I feel all...warm inside." he smiled at me, placing a finger under my chin and lifting my chin so that I looked straight at him.

He'd leant in when I wasn't looking; now our lips were mere inches apart. Without even processing all of this properly, I could definitely determine that what I now felt within me was a definite yearning for him. Placing my elbows on the table, I moved in and my lips brushed his softly; I tried to inch myself forward a bit more, but he pulled back, leaving me breathless, head spinning. Nothing had even happened and I was being driven insane by Rumpelstiltskin.

"All in good time, dearie." he smirked before expelling a dry, sarcastic laugh. Involuntarily, I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest, sitting back in my seat, "Well you're the impatient one aren't you?"

"I've never done anything like this before, I'm sorry." I felt stupid.

"We haven't even got to the main course yet, and you're already so eager." he brushed his fingers over my cheek and along my jawline. "Such a pretty thing,"

"Actually the main course is here now." a waitress appeared; food trays were precariously balanced on her arms.

"Thank you," we both said and tucked into the colourful array of food.

"Who was Milah- and Belle?" I blurted, immediately wishing I hadn't. At first Rumpel's eyes flashed with anger, then it fizzled out and he put on a smile.

"Milah was my wife. A long time ago, she was the mother of my son, Baelfire. But she left me, for a pirate. Belle was my maid. She saw past all the evil, thought there was a good man within me." he briefly explained, wanting to move on from that subject as soon as possible, I assumed.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It isn't my place to question you about your past. Please do forgive me." he just held a hand up, to stop my rambling, I fell silent and took a sip of my drink.

"Don't apologise, just don't bring it up again, please." he tried to put up a wall now, blocking any emotion.

"I won't." I grabbed his hand over the table, little sparks flying around the intertwined fingers, a flicker of a smile on his face for a brief moment.

"Anything else?" a waitress asked, offering us the dessert menu, which we both took from her, hardly looking away from each other.

"Not for the moment, thank you." he spoke, eyes still fixed on me. I scanned the dessert menu and smiled, thinking of the times that me and my mum have sat and eaten pints upon pints of ice cream.

"You confuse me, Rumpel. One minute you seem as though you'll rip the head from a person's shoulders, the next you're lovingly gazing into my eyes." I commented, receiving a smirk from him.

"Well, can you blame me?" he reached under the table, stroking my leg. With this contact, I felt a fire building in my stomach; a desire to reach out and kiss him, "your eyes burn with lust, Ava, not very ladylike…"

"I- you make it difficult, Rumpel. Ve-very difficult." he didn't move his hand for the rest of the meal. Even when he reached out for my face, he used the other hand.

"You have ice cream- just there," he rubbed his finger just at the corner of my mouth, then licked his finger clean, letting a grin light up his features, a twinkling in his eyes.

Leaving the restaurant, Rumpel wrapped his arm around my waist; the contact set my skin alight. Somehow, we fit perfectly together. I leant my head on his shoulder as we walked. Not many people were out anymore. But those who were just chose to steer clear of us, obviously confused as to what was going on. Occasionally he would lean down and whisper something in my ear, causing a rippling of shivers to overcome my body. First my spine and then everywhere. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought about my mum. She was probably sitting up still, waiting and worrying. I'd forgotten to text her.

'We've just left the restaurant, had a really good evening, walking now x' I typed the message, hitting send without a moment's notice.

"Your mother worrying again?" he asked, I could almost hear the smirk as he spoke. I turned my head slightly, rolling my eyes at him.

"I told her I would keep her updated, so that she had no need to worry. Can you blame her for worrying though? I'm her precious little princess-" I spoke without thinking, a round of laughter bursting from my lungs as I said the word princess.

"Well, she shouldn't have sent you out in such a… provoking dress." he purred into my ear; a heat rose up from my core and flushed the ivory skin of my neck. Now, it was warm to the touch - a pyre of excitement burning within me - and I couldn't help but nestle into Rumpel's shoulder.

"You smell nice- I mean- No I have nothing." he laughed, deep and warm, enveloping me in comfort.

"Would you like to come in for a little while? Or should I walk you home, sweetheart." we had arrived at his shop. _Bzzt. Bzzt._ My phone went off in my pocket before I could answer him.

'I'm glad you had fun, on your 'date'. See you soon, don't be too long x' my mum had texted me back, I looked between the phone and Rumpel. His face fell as I continued to deliberate.

"Yes, yes that would be lovely. Thank you, I just can't stay too long." he was shocked as I spoke, still looking unsure as he unlocked the shop and showed me through to the back where I sat down and kicked off my heels.

"You do look breathtaking tonight, Miss Blanchard." he walked over to me, placing his hands just beneath my jaw, lifting my face to stare right into his eyes. Only inches apart at that moment; I could feel his minty breath on my face and the heat rising in my own. Without a second going by I had already wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer still. Leaning up to place a kiss gently on his lips, I was then pushed back into the desk. Everything moved so fast that I had no time to stop and think until my head was spinning and he released me. He was a gentleman of course, "Don't look upset, dearie. Everything will happen, in time."

"That doesn't sound like a thought, more like a promise." I raised my eyebrow at the man, studying the twinkling in his deep brown eyes. All he did was shake his head. We made our way out of the shop - I'd put my shoes on again and grabbed my things - and down to mine and mum's house. Just as I was about to open the door, my path was blocked. Rumpel had used his walking stick to bar my entry, a smirk on his always smug face.

"Leaving without saying goodbye? Where are your manners, Ava?" he leaned down, pressing his lips to my forehead.

"Sorry...goodbye Rumpel, and thank you for tonight." I hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek before walking into the apartment that I shared with my mum.

As I closed the door and leaned my back against it, I became aware of my small audience. My mum had been sitting at the kitchen counter, waiting for me. Her face was expressionless but her eyes were full of mischief. I knew she was curious as to what had happened.


End file.
